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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24943570">Lux Lunae</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lkcsi/pseuds/Lkcsi'>Lkcsi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Radiant Stars [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tales of Vesperia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama, First Kiss, Friendship, Gen, Love Confessions, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:02:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,631</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24943570</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lkcsi/pseuds/Lkcsi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sodia convinces Flynn to confess to Yuri, and Flynn does just that. Unfortunately, he runs right into Yuri's self-esteem issues.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Flynn Scifo/Yuri Lowell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Radiant Stars [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737949</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Confession</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I forgot to post this one earlier this week, but well, I just got word that my thesis was received gracefully and got a much higher grade than I expected, so I spent the better part of my week celebrating. The next entry might not arrive next week as my fics in this series always do, since I'm busy partying by myself lmao</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>All the leaders of the world–Prince Ioder, Fortune's Market's President Kaufman, the Acting Don Harry, and Palestralle's Duce Provvisorio Natz–had just finally convened together the day before to discuss the laid-out plans for, for lack of a better term, the saving of the world. Recess was agreed upon by the leaders and the meetings would resume in the morning. Thus Flynn had the entirety of the late afternoon and the night.</p><p>Idly walking past the contingent of knights, <em> his knights</em>, he quickly corrected himself, he observed them. Some were working alongside the refugees carry chopped logs to be refined into planks in the other side of the forest. Many were stationed and alert, on the lookout for monsters looming in the horizon. He beamed with pride at that. No one was asleep like he himself had come to expect. People in uniforms of Palestralle, Fortune's Market, and even Altosk scuttled about with their business. </p><p>This new town in the relatively-unknown continent of Hypionia was doing well, much better than Flynn even envisioned it. Guild members and Imperial citizens were working together, with little to no prejudice at all; this fact even bolstered the ensuing talks.</p><p>To think he was one of the people behind it all... Flynn swelled with pride for himself. It was a massive achievement.</p><p>The light clanging of metal-toed boots against the earth grabbed Flynn's attention. Sodia. "Sir, has the meeting with the world leaders ended for today?"</p><p>"Yes. They would resume tomorrow morning. At the moment, it looks to me that they are finalizing the new world treaty's details as well as hammering out solid plans for the future starting from tomorrow night."</p><p>"That is reassuring, sir."</p><p>Flynn couldn't help sighing. "It is. Were I younger, I wouldn't have dreamed of this happening. It's over and beyond..." He trailed off when someone, a certain <em> someone </em> of midnight hair and graceful gait, entered his line of sight. Flynn completely stopped to stare, heart jammed in his throat.</p><p>"Beyond...?"</p><p>"... beyond the things I wished for," Flynn muttered while still laying his eyes on the man whom he had affections for. Sodia turned to look at whomever her commanding officer was busy staring at, and found Yuri lending a hand on heaving a weighty cart full of gravel quarried from the west of the new town.</p><p>"Sir, if I may dare say it."</p><p>Flynn sighed in exasperation. "I know you don't like him. I know you disapprove of my attachment."</p><p>"No, not- it wasn't that, sir. I just... it might be the end of the world." She gestured to Yuri's direction with her shoulder afterwards, and Flynn noted with some confusion at how she hung her head as well. He knew she must have been harboring feelings for <em> him </em> as well, knowing how she'd been unfetteringly loyal to him and, less pleasingly, how she'd thought of him as perfect. "Please. Go meet with him. Tell him how you truly feel for him."</p><p>To Flynn, though, it was a red flag. Brow raised, he enquired, "Just last month you would have told me to stay away from him." He didn't meet her averted eyes, even though he wanted to.</p><p>"After... after recent events, it has become clear to me that he is more than a positive influence on you, despite the deception of his record."</p><p><em> Ah, so she has begun to see Yuri's heart too. </em> "I'm glad to hear that, Sodia."</p><p>Yuri was now helping them unload the gravel onto a pile beside a newly-built wooden wall. The back of the cart opened, sending pebbles tumbling out. Yuri was on top of the cart in less than a second, shovelling the rest of the gravel onto the pile.</p><p>"I also know Yuri Lowell views you in the highest of regards, too. Witcher and I had called for his help when we found him, and... I will only say that he was livid upon knowing we left you here to find help."</p><p><em> That is... illogical</em>, he thought to himself. "He has never been like that before. He knows I can handle danger."</p><p>"And in Zaude, he said-" Sodia suddenly seized up and shut her mouth.</p><p>"Zaude?" <em> Something is up with Zaude. </em> He tucked this mental note away. Perhaps he could bring it up with her again, and perhaps bully Yuri into spilling the details of what actually happened.</p><p>He still suspected that a few of his knights were still sympathizers of the traitor.</p><p>"When you were hit by the former Commandant, I saw him attack Alexei without mercy. He'd seemed upset."</p><p>"There were many things that could have made him furious then," he said as he watched Yuri and others speak to each other briefly before laughing out loud. Yuri, miraculously enough, cocked his head aside and met Flynn's gaze. </p><p>The creases of contentment around Yuri's eyes caused Flynn's heart to flutter. When the laughter ended, Yuri was just looking back at Flynn with a ghost of a grin on his lips. His skin, coated in a sheen of sweat from labor, shone in the light. Yuri turned to the others and said something, perhaps to say his goodbyes, since he approached Flynn immediately afterwards.</p><p>"I shall leave you two to talk, sir," Sodia said.</p><p>He was mildly surprised, although he wasn't sure if it was because of Sodia's new and friendlier treatment of Yuri, or of the fact he actually completely forgot she was there.</p><p>"Thank you, Sodia."</p><p>Sodia left wordlessly. All of Flynn's attention was now on Yuri's approaching figure, and as Yuri neared, he thought of his confidant's words. </p><p>Would telling Yuri he loved him be a good idea?</p><p>"Hey, Flynn." Yuri was smiling at him widely and <em> his open shirt was just showing off </em>and it was taking all of Flynn's will to breathe as normally as he could.</p><p>"Hello, Yuri." Flynn flashed him a smile. "How are you?"</p><p>"Pretty great, bit sore." </p><p>"Must you dive right into intense labor after our duel yesterday?"</p><p>"Well, I thought, while waiting for the bigwigs-"</p><p>"Yuri, don't call them bigwigs!"</p><p>"Sorry, while <em> they </em> were still deciding on what to do, I decided to help around town. Brave Vesperia agreed with me. I think Karol's helping with the fences. Judy is of course watching out for monsters."</p><p>"'Of course'?"</p><p>Yuri shot him a look. "Oh right, you don't really know. Judy <em> loves </em> fighting."</p><p>Flynn filed this new information to the back drawer of his mind. "Oh?"</p><p>"Yeah. I really think she can cut her way out of a monster's belly if she gets eaten. Gives me some heebie jeebies." Yuri shuddered slightly, as if a chill came over.</p><p>"So, in other words, a battle maniac?" Flynn gave him a stupid smile as he began to feel less burdened by the armor he wore and more like just a normal man talking to his best friend, who just so happened to unknowingly hold his heart.</p><p>"Yeah. More or less."</p><p>"I've heard Rita call me a battle maniac before. Do I scare you?" <em> Am I not your type? </em></p><p>Yuri glowered at him in disbelief, and then landed a punch on his arm. "The hell should I be scared of you for?"</p><p>"I'm, well, I'm relieved," Flynn stammered before raising his arms up to shield himself from Yuri's light slapping, all the while laughing. "I wouldn't want my best friend to be afraid of me."</p><p>"You're just not the 'carve my way out of a monster's innards' type. You don't scare me, <em> Commandant.</em>" He stopped his accosting and reached to grab Flynn's still-a-bit-too-small nose. Part of Flynn was overjoyed at this action, even though Yuri's fingers tended to pinch his nose a little too hard for comfort. He could even feel the beginnings of a sneeze. </p><p>Yuri just hadn't been playing with his nose for far too long. A strained friendship did that.</p><p>"I, the Commandant, do happen to be your childhood friend. I don't think I could scare you at all," Flynn spoke through his closed nose.</p><p>"Nope, not at all. Especially when you sound so nasal. Can't take you seriously with that tiny nose of yours."</p><p>He chuckled at that. "What is it with you and my nose."</p><p>"What is it with you and staring at me for a <em> really </em> long time?" Yuri shot back, loosening his grip.</p><p>He was speechless. <em>Oh no. He noticed.</em></p><p>"I..." He verbally stumbled. <em> It's because I love you. </em></p><p>"Did you... miss me a lot, Flynn?"</p><p>The memories of himself in a weeks-long nightmare flashed in his mind, and he sighed sadly. He felt his friend's hand crawl up his forearm and give it a small squeeze.</p><p>"I heard from Estelle. Sounds like you were on the rocks."</p><p>"Yeah." He placed his other hand on Yuri's, and oddly Yuri didn't swat it away. He just let it there.</p><p>"Sorry for all that, but you sure you're all okay now? From what I heard from Estelle, you really weren't doing all that well. Ooh, that rhymed."</p><p>"I promise I'm all okay. I will admit I wasn't in shape at all while I thought you were dead. But now you're a hundred percent not dead. If anything, you look more revitalized than usual." That was true, absolutely true. Yuri was no longer caged in the capital, and now he was soaring through the air in his new freedom and new sense of purpose in life (which could also be taken literally, given the fact that was Ba'ul).</p><p>"Hell yeah I'm not dead." Yuri pumped a fist in the air and then hit Flynn one last time. "I wouldn't be done in by that, you know." </p><p>Flynn remained silent, fidgeting in place. When he mustered the strength to express he didn't like that as much as he'd want to joke, Yuri cut him off.</p><p>"Flynn, this whole time you've been acting really weird. Are you really sure you're okay? Is there something up? I, uh. Sorry. I honestly didn't think you'd be so rattled by that."</p><p>"It... was a big deal."</p><p>His best friend pouted in thought for a minute. "I guess so. You need help getting over it?"</p><p>Flynn inhaled. <em> Seems like I can't escape it. </em> "Yuri."</p><p>"Yeah?" His brows raised.</p><p>"There's something."</p><p>"Something?"</p><p>"Do you mind if you drop by my quarters later at twilight? Just before dinnertime. There really is something important I want to tell you. I-It's nothing very, erm, pertinent to the situation of the world." He pointed up towards the Adephagos, pulsing and devouring above. "I thought... there is something I would like you to know before you leave for Tarqaron soon." </p><p>Yuri raised a brow at his friend, who immediately avoided his gaze, but shrugged off his initial suspicion. "I don't get why you don't want to say it now though."</p><p>"Ah, i-it's just something I have to keep a secret from most."</p><p>"Avoiding eavesdroppers?"</p><p>He nodded. "It would be the best time for me, since it would be before dinnertime."</p><p>"Mmkay, sure." </p><p>"It's just eating at me. I... think it would be good if I were to not hold it in anymore."</p><p>Yuri chuckled, amused. "Emotional support. Got it."</p><p><em> Something like that. </em> "Is it too much to ask of you?"</p><p>"Not really, but it's pretty rare for you to think of things as 'a big deal'."</p><p>He puffed. "Yuri, there are so many big deals in the world. This town is. The Adephagos is. You almost dying is a <em> massive </em> deal." That moment was when he dared to look at him, and found that Yuri's eyes seemed to study him a little closer.</p><p>"Guess we're going to have to talk about that later."</p><p>"Yeah. So, um. Twilight. "</p><p>"Yup. Okay." Yuri swept another look at Flynn's entire being, cocking his head a bit like he usually did when he was noting something curious.</p><p>"See you?"</p><p>"I swear, Flynn, you get so pushy sometimes. I'll just have a nice, well-earned shower, and I'll meet you."</p><p>"Okay. I'll be waiting."</p><p>Yuri waved wordlessly as he left towards the direction of the inn. Flynn watched him from behind until he disappeared around the corner.</p><p>/**/</p><p>Flynn spent the next hour rehearsing his impending confession, pacing back and forth in his room. When confronted with raising his knights' morale, he could come up with an inspiring speech to rouse their spirits to battle, but the fight of love was an entirely different field. It had different rules of engagement, diverse strategies of battle, and distinct outcomes depending on a plethora of factors. It still had the same principles, though: know your target or enemy, and strike accordingly.</p><p>He knew Yuri well. Yuri wasn't exactly a man of mushiness. He had a certain dislike for mushy things, but he did have sentiment. Yuri also did not like beating around the bush, preferring that things be as straightforward as possible.</p><p>He straightened himself up in front of the mirror.</p><p>"Yuri." He looked at his reflection looking back at him. "I'm sorry I've been acting weird. It really is because, for a long while, I thought you were dead. I came to realize this, Yuri, and I hope you wouldn't hate me for this. I realize I love you. I'm sorry it took you going missing for me to finally put a name on what I've felt for you for years already."</p><p>He stared at his own face and shook his head. "No, no... too long... too confusing, and I don't want him to be thinking about the past weeks... okay, okay." Flynn pulled on the collar of his turtleneck and cleared his throat. "Yuri. After I tell you this, I hope we would still be friends irregardless." He imagined Yuri replying. "I'm sorry I've been acting oddly ever since you came back, and the truth is that I love you. I have loved you for a very long time, too. That's all."</p><p>Flynn's face on the mirror was dusted with a tinge of pink, and Flynn gawked at himself as he processed the last mental draft of his speech.</p><p>"That sounds good."</p><p>Then the hour was suddenly up, and someone knocked. </p><p>"Flynn?" Yuri's voice came muffled by the door. Flynn jumped, as if his soul left his body entirely.</p><p><em> Oh goodness, Yuri showed up on time. </em> "Come in." <em> Wait! Not yet! I'm not ready! </em></p><p>Yuri pried the door open, letting himself in. And so Yuri was there, standing before Flynn, actually fresh out of his shower. His long beautiful hair was yet to dry, with some strands still damp. To Flynn he smelled so strongly of lemon soap and it was making him flush so much he couldn't think. It smelled incredibly good on him, and his poor little heart was thumping hard he couldn't breathe. He wasn't even wearing armor that could be an excuse for his deep panting. An illogical part of his mind even thought Yuri could hear the faint thumping of his heartbeat or read his panicked mind.</p><p>But he had to do this. Say this. The apocalypse might happen sooner or later, and he wouldn't be able to bare his heart and soul.</p><p>He pulled in a deep, deep breath, mustering courage like he'd normally do when speaking to a crowd and especially to his knights, but even with only Yuri around to hear him, his mere presence caused his thoughts to falter. He felt like a shrinking violet, a young teen with a crush. Psyching himself up was taking a long, long while, and so he decided to dive right into cold water to spare himself the overthinking.</p><p>"Yuri. After I tell you this, I..." Flynn's speech petered out, barely having started. Turns out diving right into it still didn't stop his racing thoughts galloping in his head like a whole horde of panicked horses. Anxiety poured straight into his soul, turning him into an anxious teenager. He looked away, eyes settling somewhere else away from Yuri, the faintest hint of pink dusting his cheeks. Absentmindedly he began to rub his left elbow. A moment passed and the little blush on Flynn's cheeks was beginning to burn bright, with Flynn painfully aware of it. The rubbing devolved into fidgeting on the straps of his armor and pulling in shaky breaths.</p><p>Understandably enough, Yuri was beginning to become a little impatient.</p><p>"What? You've never been so shy about something before, and besides," he jabbed a finger at the centerpiece on Flynn's uniform, "you're the Commandant now-"</p><p>"<em> Acting </em> Commandant, and that's not really-"</p><p>"-and that's got to make you confident."</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"Spit it out, Flynn. I don't bite. Come on. I'm your friend."</p><p>"B-but it's different." His voice came out soft, shy, uncertain.</p><p>"Hey. If it's a secret, I can keep it. I promise. Even if it means the end of the world." He waved to the general direction of the sky, where eldritch transmogrified aer was literally about to end said world. "There's nothing I wouldn't judge you for, Flynn, except your horrible cooking improvisation. And I'm never leaving you behind, especially that I heard from Estelle you cried about me a lot. So. You can tell me."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>Yuri rolled his eyes. "Obviously. It's been killing me that you said something you're supposed to be telling me now. Tell me what's up. If you need to cry some more, that's fine, as long as it helps you get over my near death. Okay?"</p><p>Another few seconds passed. Flynn inhaled and straightened up, summoning all his courage. Time to break it out. Get it all done with.</p><p>His past hour of practice flew straight out of his brain and into the dumpster.</p><p>"I love you," were the words out of Flynn's mouth, and Yuri suddenly couldn't breathe. Flynn saw it. He <em> felt </em>the shift in Yuri's breathing, the stiff stance he adopted, and then that bullshit smile Yuri always puts on when he's thinking of something he wanted to hide but couldn't exactly mask. Didn't Yuri know he was one of the things he knew the most, the first being the backs of his own hands?</p><p>"Of course. I'm your friend. Of course you love me."</p><p><em> Bingo</em>, Flynn thought, <em> you're hiding something. </em> "I didn't mean it like that," he said with a deep frown.</p><p>Yuri bitterly laughed. "But of course you love me." He turned away, maybe to try and hide whatever he was ruminating on more. "Friends should... friends should love each other. Isn't that just a normal thing?"</p><p><em> That isn't a normal answer at all, Yuri</em>. "I said, I didn't mean it like that."</p><p>"Then what do you mean?"</p><p>Flynn simply caught his wrist in his hand, pulled his towards him and meekly touched his lips with his. The feel of Yuri's dry, chapped lips lasted only for an ephemeral moment before Yuri shoved him away.</p><p>"Flynn!" Yuri just blurted out, and didn't know what to make of Flynn's wide eyes, those blue eyes that held the color of a clear sunny sky. Flynn's face drained of almost all color. "What did you-?"</p><p>"I-I'm... I apologize." He straightened up, but kept his gaze on the floor. "I shouldn't have... forced myself on you." Yuri's shoulders dropped and his head hung down. "I would understand if... things change between us yet again." His hair veiled his face as he stared downwards, and for a long while both men stood there unmoving. Yuri was the first to sunder the silence with a question asked barely above a murmur.</p><p>"How?"</p><p>Flynn blinked. "Huh?"</p><p>"How did you come to realize?" Yuri allowed his head to straighten back up and looked Flynn in the eye with a glassy gaze.</p><p>"... realize I love you?"</p><p>Yuri closed his eyes and grimaced as if he had taken a blow. After a while he nodded, lips still pursed.</p><p>"Yuri... when Repede all but told me you had fallen off of Zaude, I was inconsolable. I could only think of you in every waking hour and I had nightmares of your dead body every night. And even before that, I haven't been handling the idea of you in danger well, even though realistically you could take care of anything. You're strong like that.</p><p>"Since we were much younger, I couldn't place what I felt for you, until after I thought you died. I grieved you. I mourned you every single day. I couldn't accept that you must be dead. I couldn't imagine my life without you around. That's why I-"</p><p>"So basically you feel this <em> love </em> because I had been missing for weeks."</p><p>"I came to realize and accept my feelings for you in that time, yes."</p><p>Yuri didn't respond further, only turning aside to look out of the window of his friend's quarters. Flynn hesitatingly reached out to grasp Yuri's hand, only to be harshly pushed away.</p><p>"Don't."</p><p>Heart stuck in his throat, he gulped down and croaked out, "What do you mean...?"</p><p>"Don't say those kinds of things. It gives me hope."</p><p>As Yuri uttered those words, two warring feelings erupted within Flynn. One beaming that Yuri did seem to love him back, and the other dreading the next few minutes because of Yuri's low tone.</p><p>"Yuri, please, I love you. Do you love me, too?"</p><p>Yuri didn't answer, only turning away and stepping towards the door. His hand twisted the knob and pulled the door open.</p><p>"I'm sorry." It made Yuri stop, as if to listen. </p><p>"Don't be sorry for loving me."</p><p>"We can forget all about this if you want."</p><p>"Just let me think about it for a while."</p><p>Flynn didn't hear much after that, but he heard the click of the doorknob. His ears rang in the silence of his quarters, his heart cracking and breaking. However, his eyes weren't flooding with tears. Maybe he was just too shocked.</p><p>The day before, Yuri had beaten him for the first time in a friendly duel and they laughed together. Their spirits had been lifted. Then... this happened.</p><p>Could it have gone worse? </p><p>Was it even the right choice to confess to Yuri?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Acceptance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Flynn finally emerged from his quarters in response to his growling stomach, many people were still eating dinner. The first thing he spotted was Yuri's little friend group–Lady Estellise, Repede, Miss Judith, Mage Mordio, Captain Sch- Raven, Karol, and Patty–huddled together quietly. All of them were beginning to feast on some wonderful-smelling grilled steak. </p><p>"Hey, mutt, this thing has onions in it," Rita shooed Repede away while holding her plate away from Repede's muzzle. "Not good for you."</p><p>"Here, Repede," Karol said as he slid a plate of only steak in front of the dog, and Repede dived down, devouring the meat.</p><p>But Yuri wasn't there, and Flynn's heart sank. He did approach them anyway, and Raven was the first to notice him.</p><p>"Evenin', Commandant. Nice of ya to join us."</p><p>The entire group turned their heads to him.</p><p>"Good evening, everyone."</p><p>"Flynn!" Estelle waved. "Come sit with us."</p><p>Flynn did just that, crossing a leg behind his knee and falling gracefully onto the grass. Being with Yuri's group felt very odd, with new faces as Yuri's friends. Part of him nagged at the fact he'd been travelling the world with these people without him, when all he'd wanted for Yuri was to see him be truly happy.</p><p>In many ways, he didn't fit in this group. They had spent almost all their time traversing continents spanning the whole world. They have fought possibly more battles together than Flynn and Yuri had together. Friendships forged through the fires of an adventure all over Terca Lumireis, and all Flynn had was a shared childhood and mutual feelings Yuri didn't seem to even want to act on.</p><p>"Would you like a skewer, Flynn?" Patty held up a thin wooden stick with all sorts of meat and marshmallows impaled on it. He smiled as he accepted the skewer. In as many ways he didn't fit, he also did fit in here.</p><p>Any friend of Yuri's was a friend of theirs. And it was not even the case that he hadn't worked with them before in pursuit of justice. Brave Vesperia, even though Yuri denied his hasty and verbal application right after Estelle's kidnapping in Desier, was still open for him.</p><p>"We have barbecue and steak if you like!" The princess said as she rose to approach the grill where freshly smoked meat was. Almost as quickly as Estelle, Flynn pushed himself up.</p><p>"Lady Estellise, allow me to get myself my own food."</p><p>"No, sit!" Her tone remained friendly but had a sense of hospitable authority, then she fussed over a plate as she hurriedly placed meat and scooped sauce onto it. Flynn tried to make another noise of protest, but something pulled on one end of his cape, forcing him back down on the ground. He found himself staggering beside Raven, who'd been the one to pull him.</p><p>"Let 'er do what she wants, kid."</p><p>"Estelle even went through the trouble of cooking all of this for us," Judith joined in. "She said it's how she shows her love and appreciation for us."</p><p>Flynn hummed in thought, plunging into meditation and missing the flirty statements Raven made about cooking Judith a few meals then and there, and Judith sniping back mirthfully. Their back and forth friendly-flirty banter went straight over his head. He thought about Yuri again, and those times he cooked. His hair up in a messy bun, bangs behind a tied bandanna. Yuri breaking into Flynn's room and leaving him lunchboxes full of his favorite food every now and then.</p><p>
  <em> Were those also how Yuri showed love and appreciation for me? </em>
</p><p>He immediately returned to reality when his instincts spotted a teeny tiny fireball zip past his nose. Said fireball landed on the shoulder of Raven's right sleeve–enough to singe the cloth but not set Raven on fire.</p><p>"Hey!" Raven pouted over at an indignant Rita.</p><p>"You hey, old man. Some people want to eat in peace."</p><p>"Some people don't wanna be set on fire."</p><p>Rita growled. "Do you really want to be on fire?"</p><p>"No, no."</p><p><em> What a happy bunch, </em> Flynn thought as he watched the bickering escalate into a volley of increasingly ridiculous insults. It ended on 'ancient booger' once Estelle stepped back in the circle, bearing Flynn's plate of food, which overflowed with beef and sauce, with three sticks of barbecue and another three of Patty's signature skewers. He wanted to protest that it was a <em> lot </em> of food–not that he didn't like the smell of it wafting in the air–but when she gently handed it to him, he just accepted with a grateful smile. </p><p>"Thank you, Lady Estellise."</p><p>"It's nothing! It's the absolute least I could do for my friends. And Yuri said meat is your favorite, so I hope you like it!"</p><p>Well, even if he didn't really like it, it was as if he could say he didn't like Estelle's cooking in front of Estelle herself. He dug his fork into a piece of steak, brought it up to his mouth, and nibbled on it. The dryness of the steak was well-balanced with the sauce, thick enough to cling to the meat but not too thick as to overwhelm the natural flavor of the meat. He could taste a hint of leek beneath pepper in the sauce. If the leek were stronger, though, it would be <em> perfect. </em></p><p>"This is amazing, Lady Estellise. Nigh perfect." He proceeded to shovel half of the plate into his mouth.</p><p>And at that the princess almost jumped with joy. "Thank you! I tried doing Yuri's recipe, but his cooking tastes a bit different than what I could make. I tried making it with all the love I have."</p><p>"It is the most important ingredient. The lady who ran the inn where the two of us lived said that."</p><p>"Yeah, she said that," Yuri butted in like he hadn't been missing from the conversation. </p><p>Flynn choked down the steak when Yuri suddenly turned up just behind him. Brave Vesperia greeted him.</p><p>"Where have you been, Yuri?" Karol asked. "I couldn't find you anywhere!"</p><p>"Around," was Yuri's vague answer. "Clearing my head."</p><p>Upon hearing that, Flynn hung his head and shyly finished the rest of his plate. Karol immediately became busy pummeling Yuri's hip and leg with light punches.</p><p>"Yuri, I swear if you go disappear again like you did at Zaude-"</p><p>"Woah, woah, boss. I promise I won't. I just wanted time al- hey, quit it!"</p><p>Karol moped. "The least you could do was tell someone!"</p><p>"I wasn't even gone that long, and don't worry about me."</p><p>"You have to forgive Karol, Yuri." Judith called out. "He was scared you'd died, he cried on Raven." She pointedly ignored Karol's complaining. "All of us were."</p><p>Yuri smirked. "Even you, Rita?"</p><p>Like raging fire, Rita burned red. "Hell no! I knew you were alive somewhere!"</p><p>"Thanks for the concern, Rita."</p><p>"Shove it."</p><p>"Why doncha sit down and have a nice, refreshing dinner with us?" Raven patted the ground.</p><p>"Ah no, I still feel a little full, but I'll be back after something." Yuri bent down to tap Flynn, who was trying to shrink down into an ant, on the shoulder. The latter whipped back to look up at the former with wide eyes.</p><p>"Yuri?"</p><p>"Flynn. You have a minute?" </p><p>He nodded wordlessly.</p><p>"I'll be just over there," he said as he gestured towards the entrance, the location of their duel. "Finish what you're eating and then we'll talk." His words came out heavy, and Flynn's neutral expression fell away.</p><p>"Okay," he said softly.</p><p>Yuri turned on his heel immediately and left with nary a glance at his friends. All eyes fell squarely on Flynn once he was out of earshot.</p><p>"Flynn," Estelle voiced out everyone's silent concerns, "did you two have a fight again?"</p><p>"Ah, well..." He fell silent as he picked on some dirt on the strap on his greaves. "We just didn't have a happy conversation earlier tonight."</p><p>"So, a fight, then?" Judith inquired more. </p><p>"Not at all. It's more that I had a confession that he doesn't seem to have liked hearing."</p><p>"What kind of confession?"</p><p>"Just something that just changed our friendship again, but maybe for the worse."</p><p>Estellise cut in instantly. "Yuri's always thinking about you, you know. He was always so concerned for you."</p><p>"That's right," Judith said, "I don't believe he's thought of you badly."</p><p>Karol seized his opportunity to speak up. "Yuri once said Flynn was annoying, but when I met you, he was a lot more relaxed than usual, except in Baction."</p><p>"I think everyone can vouch that Yuri doesn't hate you," Estelle finished, drawing a murmur of agreement from the rest of the group.</p><p>Flynn sighed. "I'm just afraid what I said earlier made things irreparable- ow!" Something hard and metallic thwacked the top of his head.</p><p>"You are as brainless as a sea sponge!" Patty all but hollered into his ear. "He just said he wanted to talk to you, and you're giving up?"</p><p>"I hafta agree with Patty here, Flynn," Raven said, his voice gaining the quiet quality of an enlightened older man. "Why doncha go and have a heart-to-heart with Yuri now?"</p><p>"I'm sure whatever happened, he'll forgive you, or something!" Karol asserted with an encouraging tone. Repede wuffed from beside the kid, as if agreeing as well.</p><p>"Yeah, you should go talk to him, Flynn, we support you," Estelle added, then stood up to gather more steak onto a new plate. "I also don't believe Yuri's not hungry at all, so I also want him to have some food." </p><p>"I could deliver the plate to him when we talk. I think we could eat together." </p><p>"Good." Estelle handed him Yuri's plate. Flynn stood up and glanced over everyone's reassuring expressions and thumbs-ups. A bit of courage seeped into him at the sight of everyone's support, and so he left to follow Yuri just outside the town's fence.</p><p>/**/</p><p>"Yuri..." Flynn called out as he approached him, the tray of food on his somewhat shaky hands. His anxiety shot through the roof.</p><p>Yuri didn't speak, only resumed staring at the sky. The tension was palpable to the point that a single pluck could break it altogether.</p><p>"I... I thought you might be hungry. You didn't join us earlier." He placed the tray on the ground beside Yuri, and it finally got his attention. Yuri looked down at it, before glaring at Flynn.</p><p>"You didn't cook this, did you?"</p><p>"No." He shook his head vigorously. "I didn't. I wasn't involved at all in its creation."</p><p>Yuri snorted, taking the fork in it and poking at the steak. After judging it to be properly tender, he stuck the fork in and brought it to his mouth, eyelids squeezed shut. </p><p>Fortunately, the horrible signature of Flynn's cooking didn't assault his tongue.</p><p>"Phew."</p><p>"Told you. I didn't cook it."</p><p>"There is only one thing you cook well, Flynn, and it's called Burnt Charcoal."</p><p>Both men laughed together, and despite it not lasting more than a short moment, the atmosphere cleared. When they fell silent, Flynn decided to speak up.</p><p>"Yuri. I'm sorry about what I said."</p><p>"I said, don't go being sorry," he snapped, before looking up at the sky. "I just... I think I already knew how you felt about me. You just keep staring at me like I'm the prettiest thing in the world."</p><p>"That is because you are the prettiest."</p><p>Yuri turned red. "Shut up."</p><p>Flynn giggled a bit, and then there was the quiet again, only broken by the song of crickets and the faint chatter of those further in the settlement. He dared to glance at Yuri's profile, but Yuri, stubborn as he was, still didn't look at him.</p><p>"Flynn?"</p><p>"Hmm?"</p><p>"I was fifteen when I started loving you more than a friend, you know."</p><p>Surprised, Flynn opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by Yuri.</p><p>"We were still sharing a bed by then, right? You'd fallen asleep way before I did, and while I was trying to sleep, you hugged me and muttered something about that time the sewer monster almost got me."</p><p>Images of that fateful dusk flashed before Flynn's eyes. Yuri's wound, now a faint splotch marring the skin of his leg. The feel of sweat on his forehead and dark hair. The coming of two angels who saved Yuri. If only he could remember the Krityan's name... he could try tracking the two strangers down.</p><p>
  <em> 'You can call me Elu...' </em>
</p><p>"I spent the next few days trying not to think about how attractive you magically started to become, 'til I gave up one day."</p><p>"You gave up?"</p><p>"Yeah. Tried teasing you about your stupid nose a lot to try not getting more of a crush on you, but I failed. I started thinking it's cute."</p><p>Flynn beamed. "Do you think I'm cute?"</p><p>"Fuck off. You got offended when Judy said you were cute, and let me finish!"</p><p>"Haha, okay, okay." He put both hands up in mock surrender, and his friend finally settled to talk more.</p><p>"I remember thinking, 'I'm in a load of trouble'. I didn't even think I'd like someone the way I feel about you, and I still haven't felt that way about anyone else."</p><p><em> He truly likes me back. </em> He let the pulling force on his lips curl his mouth in a content grin.</p><p>"But then I thought, well, you liked girls. Thought you're straight. There was no way you would like me, so yeah, pining for you was a lot of trouble for me. Then there were the mixed signals I kept getting from you, especially on the ship to Torim. I thought about jumping you, but, eh. Straight. Plus I knew I was saying things to pull your leg."</p><p>"Well, now we both know I'm not straight."</p><p>"Apparently."</p><p>"Would you have really jumped me on that ship? I think I was already attracted before that."</p><p>Yuri gave him a shrug. "I don't think so. I admit I always imagine you, it's not something I'm always interested in, and it would be embarrassing if I did that when I don't know any real thing, and I know you're no virgin." The way he murmured the last word was dripping with sadness, and Flynn bit his lip.</p><p>"Were you jealous?"</p><p>"Well, I'm not gonna lie. Every single time you'd give even the slightest hint of liking someone other than me, it hurt a little."</p><p>Flynn blinked, and thought of that night in Dahngrest. "So, I surmise you weren't actually very happy in Dahngrest, when Raven brought me to the local tavern. And all those other times..." He trailed off when he caught the red of a blush on Yuri's nose. He was about to open his mouth and comment on how <em> cute </em> that was and get some payback for all the nose-related bullying of the past seven or so years, but decided to keep his pie hole shut for fear of Yuri's right hook.</p><p>"Some sacrifices have to be made," he shrugged. </p><p>"Oh? Sacrifices?"</p><p>"Sometimes you have to put aside emotions for the better, especially when others are involved." He jammed another piece of steak in his mouth, before muttering a, "Wow, that is such a nice sauce."</p><p>"I believe Lady Estellise made that sauce."</p><p>"Huh."</p><p>"But back to the topic at hand! Yuri, that philosophy applies to things such as saving the capital, which I still believe you should take at least some credit for. That does <em> not </em> apply to matters such as me being too 'uptight and hyper-tense', as you'd call it."</p><p>"And what, tell you I love you when I thought you were straight, never mind that we had an important mission, and my tendency to never let anyone in my head at all?"</p><p>Flynn snickered. "You've become self-aware."</p><p>"I've been analyzed behind my back by Judy, Rita, the old man-"</p><p>"Yuri, have some respect for Raven."</p><p>"-and even Estelle. Like I couldn't hear them." He pouted as he nibbled on another piece of food. "I guess it's true, though. Even now that I'm basically telling you my shitty love story, I'm still not talking much about my feelings."</p><p>"You don't have to. I'm already happy to know you like me back."</p><p>"I do. But as I said, some sacrifices have to be made."</p><p>"Whatever sacrifices are those? Why don't you let yourself be happy, let <em> me </em> be happy?"</p><p>Yuri gave him a deep sigh once again, and said, "You're basically Commandant now. You're a really good high-ranking officer. Your people look up to you. Hell, your second-in-command likes you too much to hate me."</p><p>"Sodia's opinions on you have changed." He saw Yuri glower at that and shrug, muttering a small 'fuck that'. <em> Perhaps her actions truly have led him to hold a grudge against her, but Yuri never really holds grudges for things she did. </em> Flynn thought more, pursing his lips. <em> He doesn't seem to hate the Schwann Brigade- </em></p><p>"Drake just said you'll be Actual Commandant really soon. But I'm, well... I'm nothing compared to you."</p><p>Flynn frowned deeply. "You won our duel. You've caught up to me and you're ahead. You saved Lady Estellise, you saved the capital, and now you're about to embark on a mission to save the <em> world </em>. Are you just conveniently forgetting those things because you have this self-deprecating tendency?"</p><p>"I have blood on my hands. It's the truth."</p><p>Being reminded of Yuri's murders wasn’t pleasant, especially when it still was a bit of a sore spot between the two.</p><p>"... I'm ready to accept that it's a part of your life, Yuri. Even though I still don't approve of it wholly, I love you despite the fact."</p><p>"That's not all. Commandants don't usually have relationships with peasants, especially Lower Quarter peasants, especially Lower Quarter peasants who joined a guild."</p><p>"Then you must have forgotten I am also a Lower Quarter peasant, and that guilds are not enemies."</p><p>Yuri pinched the bridge of his nose as he put the tray of food back down on the ground. "Don't you get it? I'm a street urchin, a petty criminal, a guildman, and on top of all that, a murderer. I also don't have a family record except my surname, which makes me an aberrant citizen. I'll literally be a huge black indelible mark on you."</p><p>"You also forget that I grew up with you on the streets, your petty crimes have been forgiven, and you... you saved so many people by taking the lives of people who could not be allowed to abuse others further." That got Yuri to gape at him slack-jawed. "The things you did may have not been the best, but it brought some justice, did it not?"</p><p>"... but you can't just expect everyone to accept those facts. It wasn't proper justice, and if I were to pursue some kind of romantic relationship with you, I'll just weigh you down. People in power won't like you much."</p><p>"Let them try. Let them try to ignore the fact His Highness Ioder likes you, that Her Highness Estellise endorses you, and even guild leaders respect you and your guild Brave Vesperia. I doubt anyone could supersede the combined authorities of their Highnesses, President Kaufman, Duce Natz, Don Whitehorse and Don Harry, and Commandant Flynn Scifo."</p><p>Yuri let out a breath before poking at his half-finished steak again. "You're just out of my league, and you shouldn't love me."</p><p>"Yuri, I'm also only human. I can fall in love. And even with all your flaws, real or perceived, I still fell in love with you. I won't ask you to reciprocate it, but all I ask of you is to let me feel love for you and let me still be a friend of yours."</p><p>"But every time I thought you probably did like me back, I always told myself not to hope because I'm always gonna be stuck in your shadow. I'm not as great as you are. I'm a criminal and I don't deserve to be by your side."</p><p>"You do deserve to be by my side. You are one of the most righteous people I know, and I love you so much." He reached up to touch Yuri's cheek and push him to look right into his eyes. He went forward, their faces growing closer and closer that he almost did not realize Yuri was also leaning in, and closed his eyes once his lips made contact with Yuri's. At first it was merely a soft and light brush of lips, but Yuri pushed back, returning the kiss. Flynn's heart soared, and came closer to cup Yuri's cheek and wrap his other arm around Yuri's waist. He felt his new lover shyly embrace him back with one arm and touch the hand on his face with quivering fingers.</p><p>Yuri's tongue slid along the crease of Flynn's lips, to the latter's utter surprise. He opened his mouth and let Yuri slide in, then met him halfway there. Yuri tasted like tender meat and thick sauce. After a small while of deep kisses, they pulled back for air.</p><p>"So..." Flynn started as he grasped and squeezed his beloved's hands, "will you... please be my lover?"</p><p>"Just say boyfriend."</p><p>"Sorry. Will you please be my boyfriend?"</p><p>A smirk. "I still want to think about it a bit. After Tarqaron, you'll have to convince me to be your boyfriend."</p><p><em> So, very soon. </em> "Okay. I'll wait for that. I trust you'll be able to return and allow me to court you."</p><p>"But for now, I have one little wish."</p><p>"Yes? Anything."</p><p>"I think I like kissing you. Mind starting your romance quest right now?"</p><p>Flynn laughed lightly, then brought his hand up to Yuri's cheek again. It was a tender touch that Yuri let his eyes close and his head tilt at the warm contact, and for a moment Flynn studied his beloved's face. Light skin with a few nicks here and there. A soft jawline. Thin brows and long eyelashes. Hair that flew ever so slightly in the night breeze, and he tucked a strand of it behind his ear before reaching the back of his head to pull him closer to bridge the gap between their lips.</p><p>He covered his mouth with his the third time that night. Their lips melded together as Yuri kissed Flynn back under the pale moonlight peeking between amorphous darkness. Behind them, the leaves rustled in the wind, and the crickets continued their chirping.</p><p>/**/</p><p>"Oh my goodness," Estelle breathed out before her mouth was clammed shut by her own hands and Rita's. Meanwhile, Judith, Raven, and Patty looked on with amusement painted on their faces.</p><p>"They really just went for it," Judith said. "Wow, they're making out."</p><p>"Aye." Patty nodded. "I must admit and accept my defeat."</p><p>"I knew they'd smooch," Raven smirked to himself.</p><p>"Shh! Quiet!" Rita let Estelle go to urgently put a finger over her lips and the five eavesdroppers watched the two men pull away from each other and talk to one another again. It would take a little bit more adjusting to the relative quiet to hear Yuri and Flynn.</p><p>
  <em> "... you'll have to convince me to be your boyfriend." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Okay. I'll wait for that." </em>
</p><p>"Oh my goodness," Estelle gasped once more, turning very, very pink. "Flynn's going to court Yuri. This is so… oh goodness."</p><p>Then Flynn and Yuri began to kiss each other again, and Estelle damn near fainted in her swooning. Raven caught her when she tipped backward.</p><p>"I think that's our cue to leave," Patty whispered, and the four spies slinked back to camp, an excited Estelle in tow.</p>
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